Steven F. Benz focuses his practice on antitrust, unfair competition, class action and complex commercial cases in federal and state courts throughout the country. He has more than twenty-five years of litigation experience throughout the United States and has served as counsel of record in more than 130 litigated cases, trials, and appeals.

As a partner at the firm, Mr. Benz has prosecuted leading edge cases involving in part the intersection of competition law and intellectual property rights, including monopolization, price fixing, and class actions under federal and state law; direct and indirect purchaser claims under state antitrust and unfair competition laws; breach of contract, fraudulent transfer and deceptive trade practices litigation.

Mr. Benz currently represents Veeva Systems Inc. in antitrust claims against Quintiles IMS Incorporated in Quintiles IMS Inc. v. Veeva Systems Inc. (No. 2:17-cv-00177) (D.N.J.). Veeva is alleging that IMS has abused monopoly power as the dominant provider of data products for life sciences companies to exclude Veeva’s lines of business from their respective markets.

Firm Description:

Kellogg Hansen specializes in complex trial and appellate litigation. Our lawyers are highly qualified, credentialed, and experienced. Our lawyers have extensive experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in trials and appeals throughout the United States. We pride ourselves on the exceptional results we achieve for our clients.

Kellogg Hansen is a trial and appellate litigation firm based in Washington, D.C. We specialize in litigating complex and high-stakes matters for our clients throughout the country and we regularly take cases to verdict at trial and argue before the United States Supreme Court and other appellate courts. We represent both plaintiffs and defendants, giving us a balanced view from both sides of litigation. Our clients include Fortune 100 companies, investment and financial services firms, entrepreneurial start-ups, States and instrumentalities of the U.S. and foreign governments, and individuals.

Our roster of talented attorneys includes former Assistant United States Attorneys, Assistants to the Solicitor General, an Assistant Attorney General, and attorneys who have held senior positions in the White House, Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Justice, and the Department of State. Almost all of our partners and associates have served as law clerks for federal judges on the United States Courts of Appeals, and nearly one-quarter have clerked for Justices of the United States Supreme Court.

Although we regularly take on matters that do not fit neatly into a single category, we have expertise in complex commercial litigation, Supreme Court and appellate litigation, antitrust, class actions, Delaware corporate law and fiduciary duty matters, governmental investigations, white-collar criminal defense, securities fraud, intellectual property, products liability, and telecommunications.

Seasoned Trial Lawyers

Our firm frequently takes cases to trial on behalf of our clients in “bet-the-company” litigation. Our trial lawyers relish the opportunity to go to trial and are experienced in trying cases to juries, judges, and arbitration panels. Our lawyers have been lead counsel in more than 100 federal and state trials and private arbitrations. The firm’s attorneys have written about and taught trial and appellate advocacy in programs at the Federal Judicial Center and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.

The firm’s trial lawyers win for our clients. Our lawyers, acting as lead trial counsel, have won a $1.2 billion jury verdict on behalf of a plaintiff class in an antitrust case in Kansas; a defense verdict in a bench trial in which the plaintiff sought more than $9 billion in damages in a fraudulent conveyance case in Texas; a $318.75 million jury verdict on behalf of a technology start-up in a fraud and unfair trade practices case in North Carolina; and a $1.1 billion jury verdict on behalf of a plaintiff company in an antitrust case in Kentucky. The firm has been co-lead counsel representing the National Credit Union Administration in obtaining recoveries in excess of $4.3 billion for defective mortgage-backed securities against a wide range of Wall Street banks.

Renowned Supreme Court and Appellate Advocates

The firm’s appellate lawyers have achieved exceptional results for our clients. Our lawyers have won significant cases in the Supreme Court of the United States in each of the past twelve Terms — including important antitrust decisions (Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly and Pacific Bell Telephone Co. v. linkLine Communications, Inc.), significant securities rulings (Amgen Inc. v. Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds and Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. v. Siracusano), and landmark preemption cases (Wyeth v. Levine and Altria Group, Inc. v. Good). During the Supreme Court’s October 2010, 2011, and 2012 Terms, five different firm lawyers argued a total of seventeen merits cases. Our attorneys have also argued in every federal court of appeals, as well as many state intermediate appellate and supreme courts. The firm’s appellate practitioners are leading authorities on Supreme Court and appellate practice and procedure, having published multiple books and articles on Supreme Court and appellate advocacy. Multiple national publications have recognized the firm for its appellate expertise, and The National Law Journal included the firm on its “Appellate Hot List” for 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2016.

Experienced Counsel to Corporations and Individuals in Government and Internal Investigations

Our lawyers have broad experience representing businesses and individuals in complex criminal, administrative, and civil enforcement proceedings. We frequently represent clients in parallel state, federal, and civil proceedings in financial and commercial matters. We conduct internal investigations on behalf of multinational clients seeking to manage and resolve liability under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, state and federal securities laws, and the antitrust laws, among other criminal and regulatory regimes. We appear frequently before the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as before federal and state regulatory agencies, in connection with these matters. The firm’s lawyers are among the nation’s leading authorities on securities and antitrust enforcement.

Trial-Ready Intellectual Property and Patent Practice

The firm also has a substantial and successful patent litigation practice. We regularly try patent cases to juries and pride ourselves on our ability to make complex technology understandable to non-specialist judges and jurors. We represent both patent holders and accused infringers in cases involving a broad spectrum of technologies, including, in recent years, digital video recorders, video compression technology, optical disc drives, medical ultrasound equipment, e-commerce services, telecommunications equipment and services, and a variety of pharmaceutical compounds and formulations.

Unparalleled Expertise in Telecommunications Law

Our firm regularly represents major telecommunications providers in judicial and administrative proceedings at the federal and state levels. Our attorneys are leading authors and speakers on telecommunications law and policy and continue to do path-breaking work in shaping telecommunications law.

We invite you to learn more about us through this website or by contacting us directly.

Michael Gu is a founding partner of AnJie Law Firm based in Beijing, having previously been a principal competition partner at another leading PRC firm. Michael also spent five years at the competition practices of Linklaters and Allen & Overy. His work covers all types of antitrust matters in China, including merger filings, antitrust investigations, antitrust civil litigations and compliance audit and trainings.

Michael Gu studied EU competition law under the EU–China legal and judicial co-operation programme, sponsored by the PRC Ministry of Justice and the European Commission, from 2002 to 2003. He has a master’s degree from the China Centre for Economic Research at Peking University.

As a competition law pioneer in China, Michael has secured merger clearance from the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC (MOFCOM) for more than 50 merger transactions. Michael has also represented clients in high-profile antitrust investigation proceedings, antitrust civil litigations and leniency programmes. In addition, Michael frequently provides strategic preventive advices to clients with respect to the potential antitrust risks associated with distribution agreements, IP licensing, restrictive measures, marketing events, pricing and bidding process, etc.

Michael has actively participated in the drafting process of the PRC Anti-monopoly Law and its implementing rules.

Michael has been recognised as a leading lawyer in antitrust/competition by many international guides including AsiaLaw, Expert Guides and Global Competition Review.

Michael has authored the China chapter of The Public Competition Enforcement Review for more than seven years. He is a frequent contributor to Competition Policy International, China Business Law Journal, Asia Law Business and leading finance magazine Cai Xin. Michael is also an expert engaged by LexisNexis and Law Business Research.

She has appeared at various enquiries including as counsel assisting the ACCC East Coast Gas Enquiry, and at private and public hearings of the ICAC and at the Special Commission of Enquiry into Electricity Transactions. She is currently acting for the CBA in the Banking Royal Commission.

Ruth is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, an Assistant General Editor of the Australian Law Journal and a pool member of the Dispute Resolution Panel appointed under the National Electricity Rules. She is a member of the Council of the Bar Association of NSW and the Chair of a professional conduct committee.

Ruth won the Glasgow University medal in law, completed a doctorate in legal philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford, lectured at Corpus Christi College, Oxford and has been a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University and a Visiting Fellow at New College Oxford. Her publications include The Moral Limits of Law (OUP, 2004), three collections of essays co-edited with Justin Gleeson SC and a forthcoming monograph, Law’s Candour (all through Federation Press).

Ruth has been included in Best Lawyers Australia since 2008 and Chambers Global since 2011, and is currently listed as a new silk. She is listed in Doyle’s Guide as a leading silk for competition law, and also in commercial litigation and insolvency law.

Banco Chambers:

Banco Chambers was opened on 10 March 2005 in the Reserve Bank Building by the Hon. J.J. Spigelman AC Chief Justice of New South Wales. It then consisted of 15 members, made up of 3 silks and 12 juniors.

Banco Chambers expanded in January 2009 taking a floor in Chifley Tower and 15 new junior barristers. Our inaugural Head of Chambers was Justin Gleeson SC, the current Solicitor-General for the Commonwealth. Since Justin’s appointment Robert Newlinds SC has been our Head of Chambers.

Two of our foundation members, Justice Christine Adamson and Justice Fabian Gleeson are now Judges of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the Court of Appeal respectively.

Banco has always been and remains a youthful progressive floor committed to providing the highest level of service in the rapidly changing legal market. All of our barristers have superior and specialised advocacy skills enabling them to add value to any case in any court, tribunal or arbitration. Our barristers are also specialists in various fields where they provide sensible, commercial, objective and accurate advice.

We now have 30 members of varying levels of seniority, including seven of Australia’s leading Silks, Tom Blackburn SC, Peter Brereton SC, Andrew Coleman SC, Robert Dick SC, Richard McHugh SC, Cameron Moore SC and Robert Newlinds SC.

Reykjavik Law Firm is committed to provide it’s clients with excellent legal service. The firm is well equipped to deal with complex and diverse legal matters that can rise in a modern society. The firm’s goal is to ensure the best possible result in every project. Efficiency, acknowledgement and well-defined procedure is guaranteed while reaching that goal.

Dieter Thalhammer is a Partner at our Vienna office and head of our “Competition Law” practice group. Dieter is one of the leading Austrian experts in the areas of European and national competition law and represents national and international clients in merger control proceedings, cartel and abuse of dominance cases as well as in cartel damages proceedings (private enforcement). His profile is completed by broad experience with the execution of internal investigations and the implementation of antitrust compliance programs.

Under his guidance, our “Competition Law” practice group evolved into one of the leading teams in Austria. Dieter represents clients from diverse industries such as transport, automotive, media, energy, postal services, telecommunications, the chemical industry, real estate, finance, health care as well as the food industry and the electronic engineering industry. His most recent cases comprise advising a client in cartel proceedings concerning transport before the European Commission.

Dieter represented clients before the Austrian Supreme Court of Justice and the European Court of Justice in the proceedings against the Austrian freight forwarding cartel. Furthermore, he advises an energy supply company in antitrust proceedings before the Austrian Cartel Court and regularly counsels prestigious Austrian and international companies in several Austrian and European merger proceedings.

Prior to joining our firm, he worked for a leading international law firm in Vienna for six years. He started his career as an intern at the Legal Service of the European Commission. Dieter is the author of several articles on competition law and lectures at the University at Graz.

Dieter holds law degrees from the University of Vienna (Dr iur, Mag iur) and the Saarland University (LLM Eur). He speaks German and English.

Accolades

“He is a great negotiator who has authority even with CEOs and the heads of boards of multinational companies. He has detailed knowledge of competition law and gives pragmatic and quick advice.” Chambers Europe 2015

“He doesn’t over-complicate things: he understands all the key issues and delivers a good product.”, says a client. An other interviewee says: “He stands out from all the other lawyers I have worked with across Europe. He has really strong technical and personal skills.” Chambers Europe 2014

Firm Overview:

With more than 50 lawyers at its offices in Vienna and Graz, Eisenberger & Herzog (E&H) ranks amongst Austria’s largest law firms. The firm is driven by a team of partners with an international background and practice. Thus, E&H is guided by a spirit of innovation, dedication and creativity. Throughout the lifetime of each project, partners assist their clients personally, ensuring quality, flexibility and efficiency. With a well-established network of partner law firms all over Europe and strong ties with first-tier business law firms in the US and Asia, E&H has become one of the leading Austrian referral firms and premier addresses for international clients.

Chalid is a partner at Dewi Negara Fachri & Partners and has more than 16 years’ experience in dispute resolution in Indonesia. Chalid is qualified in Indonesia and concentrates on arbitration, civil disputes, and bankruptcy and suspension of payment. Chalid has extensive experience in business competition, contentious employment issues and internal investigations as well as criminal and corruption matters.

Chalid has represented and advised both domestic and international clients from a number of different industries. He has appeared as an advocate before BANI arbitration and as Indonesian counsel for a number of clients in the BANI Arbitration Center (Indonesia), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and the International Court of Arbitration (ICC).

Hogan Lovells:

Change is happening faster than ever, and legal challenges come from all directions. To stay ahead, organizations need to anticipate what’s next. Hogan Lovells understands this and works together with its clients to solve the toughest legal issues in major industries and commercial centers around the world. With 2,500 lawyers on six continents, Hogan Lovells offers extensive experience and insights gained from working in some of the world’s most complex legal environments and markets for corporations, financial institutions, and governments. The firm provides practical legal solutions that help clients identify and mitigate risk and make the most of opportunities. Whether a client is expanding into new markets, considering capital from new sources, or dealing with increasingly complex regulation or disputes, Hogan Lovells can help. The firm’s lawyers are straight talking. They understand and solve the problem before it becomes one. And they deliver clear and practical advice that gets the job done.

A fast-changing and interconnected world requires fresh thinking combined with proven experience. That’s what Hogan Lovells provides. Progress starts with ideas. And while imagination helps at every level, the firm’s legal solutions are aligned with each client’s business strategy. The firm’s experience in cross-border and emerging economies gives it the market perspective to be the global partner of choice for its clients. The team at Hogan Lovells brings a diverse variety of backgrounds and experience which delivers a broader perspective. This ultimately makes for more rounded thinking and better answers for clients. Giving back to communities and society is fundamental to good business. And, it’s part of the firm’s core. Everyone at Hogan Lovells is asked to volunteer at least 25 hours a year as part of their normal work duties.

Masters of Law, Yale Law School and Lawyer from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Partner since the year 2000 with a wide experience in Competition Law, multilateral finance, project and infrastructure development finance. Counseled the major provider of Mobile services in a series of competition conflicts against their main competitor in the Peruvian market, an important electricity company in matters such as competent of the acquisition of a 530MW combined cycle generation project, an international provider of medicinal gases in an investigation for alleged restrictive practice, an international fast-food franchise in a antimonopoly claim against their main competitor in the international market, and various companies of electricity generation in processes or revision previous to the merger of the competition.

Currently represents the promoter of a 1000 MW hydroelectric project. Other clients include Gas Natural (Spain), Duke Energy Egenor International and the International Finance Corporation.

Competition Law:

Our practice provides a diverse range of specialized services in competition and anti-trust matters. These services extend from the sponsorship in all types of disputes before the corresponding governmental authorities, to the assessment and design of commercial strategies. Our team is particularly focused in disputes related to the abuse of dominant positions and to anti-competitive practices, in general. It must be noted that our team members have extensive experience in administrative proceedings related to merger controls, as well as in disputes regarding actions of unfair competition related to the advertising industry.

Miranda & Amado:

Miranda & Amado is a law firm based in Lima, Peru, which provides legal services in all areas of the economic activity. At present, the firm has approximately about 100 attorneys. We provide direct, specific and efficient legal counsel by consistently incorporating best legal practices. We embody a different way of seeing and feeling the legal practice: committed, modern, ethical, demanding and human.

Yvan Desmedt advises clients on competition law and regulatory matters across a range of sectors.

His competition law experience includes merger control at the EU and national levels as a notifying party or third-party opponent. Examples include assisting Bridgestone, Carlyle, GE, and SAP in various transactions. He also has acted for complainants in a number of transactions leading to significant structural remedies (Universal/EMI).

His antitrust experience includes the investigation of interchange fees on behalf of MasterCard, the U.K. roaming case, and the Power Cable and Vitamins cartels at the EU level, as well as various national proceedings conducted in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Luxembourg. Yvan regularly advises on commercial agreements, including joint ventures, distribution, and licensing. He has advised trade associations, including the GSM Association, the Committee for Electronic Domestic Appliances (CECED), and the Federation of European Stock Exchanges (FESE), on compliance and EU regulatory issues.

Yvan also has significant litigation and advisory experience in regulated industries (telecoms, postal, energy, and financial sectors). He has represented a number of fixed and mobile telecommunications and postal operators across Europe. These proceedings have involved cases before the competition authorities, regulators, administrative courts, and civil courts. He has assisted telecom clients in various other matters such as frequency auctions, licensing issues, site-sharing, and access agreements.

Also active in the area of trade matters and export control, Yvan recently advised on trade protection procedures in the field of raw materials/chemical derivatives and on dual-use regulations.

Experience:

Newell Rubbermaid acquires Jarden Corporation for $16 billion

Jones Day advised Newell Rubbermaid Incorporated in its acquisition of Jarden Corporation in a cash and stock transaction valued at $60 per share, or approximately $16 billion in equity value.

Gimv invests in international growth of natural climate control and fire safety specialist Brakel

Jones Day advised Gimv in connection with its acquisition of a majority interest of the Dutch company Brakel next to the existing management team.

Ziv Abramovich is a partner at Lapidot, Melchior, Abramovich & Co and heads its competition practice. Before turning to private practice, he worked for five years (1997 to 2002) at the Israeli Antitrust Authority (IAA), where he was head of the enforcement and compliance department and a member of the authority’s senior management.

Ziv has extensive experience in the domestic and international implications of civil and criminal antitrust issues, both from a regulator’s and private practitioner’s perspective. He regularly advises leading Israeli and foreign clients on various antitrust matters, and represents them in front of the Antitrust Authority, the Antitrust Tribunal and other competent courts. Ziv also frequently advises and represents multinational clients regarding the Israeli aspects of international mergers and acquisitions, and is highly recommended by leading international law firms.

Ziv holds LLB (1996) and LLM (1999) degrees from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and serves as a visiting lecturer on antitrust law at several academic institutions in Israel.

Ziv was vice chairman of the Israeli Bar Association’s antitrust committee (2003 to 2007) and is an active member of the IBA antitrust committee. Ziv regularly publishes articles and reports, in Israel and worldwide, on antitrust developments and is the Israeli correspondent ofGlobal Competition Reviewand the IBA’s antitrust committee newsletter.

Ziv was invited by the IAA as a non-governmental adviser to the ICN annual conference in Kyoto, Japan, in 2008.

Lapidot, Melchior, Abramovich & Co is a highly recommended antitrust law firm in Israel. It has been elected as one of Israel’s leading antitrust law firms byGCR 100, since 2008.

WWL says:D Ziv Abramovich is a major figure in Israeli competition law, with an impressive regulatory background and a highly rated practice